Portland Civic Lab / Deep divesWork & the maker economy
Reproduced economic tables
Evidence, methods, and research tools for understanding Portland’s maker economy.
Multnomah County private payroll industries, 2019 and 2025
Source: BLS QCEW, pinned September 15, 2026. Annual-average jobs, not people. Dollar pay is nominal; it is not an hourly wage or owner income.
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 | Employment LQ 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All private industries | 447,067 | 415,659 | -7.0% | $80,983 | 0.98 |
| Pottery, ceramics, and plumbing fixture manufacturing | 41 | 65 | 58.5% | $41,988 | 1.66 |
| Nonupholstered wood household furniture manufacturing | 94 | 68 | -27.7% | $55,011 | 0.90 |
| Custom architectural woodwork and millwork manufacturing | 46 | 69 | 50.0% | $75,480 | 0.80 |
| Jewelry and silverware manufacturing | 106 | 127 | 19.8% | $53,439 | 1.98 |
| Musical instrument manufacturing | 51 | 36 | -29.4% | $50,921 | 1.05 |
| Ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing | 304 | 270 | -11.2% | $78,926 | 1.92 |
| Upholstered household furniture manufacturing | 53 | Suppressed | Unknown | Suppressed | Suppressed |
| Commercial screen printing | Suppressed | Suppressed | Unknown | Suppressed | Suppressed |
| Apparel manufacturing | 444 | 363 | -18.2% | $54,338 | 1.45 |
| Leather and allied product manufacturing | 349 | Suppressed | Unknown | Suppressed | Suppressed |
| Reupholstery and furniture repair | 41 | Suppressed | Unknown | Suppressed | Suppressed |
| Independent artists, writers, and performers | 246 | 217 | -11.8% | $108,291 | 1.15 |
| Industrial design services | 116 | 68 | -41.4% | $105,528 | 1.10 |
| Graphic design services | 1,041 | 566 | -45.6% | $92,273 | 3.45 |
| Other specialized design services | 169 | 122 | -27.8% | $99,639 | 1.92 |
| Fine arts schools | 597 | 589 | -1.3% | $22,434 | 1.44 |
01Multnomah County nonemployer businesses, 2023
Source: Census NES county bulk file. Receipts are gross, before expenses, and disclosure noise is retained. County assignment generally follows business mailing addresses. These categories are not a maker census.
| Category | Businesses | Receipts | Mean receipts per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel manufacturing | 98 | $3,780,000 | $38,571 |
| Leather and allied product manufacturing | 18 | $961,000 | $53,389 |
| Wood product manufacturing | 77 | $3,570,000 | $46,364 |
| Printing and related support activities | 84 | $4,585,000 | $54,583 |
| Clay product and refractory manufacturing | 30 | $830,000 | $27,667 |
| Glass and glass product manufacturing | 16 | $709,000 | $44,313 |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 84 | $4,706,000 | $56,024 |
| Furniture and related product manufacturing | 101 | $4,457,000 | $44,129 |
| Other miscellaneous manufacturing | 221 | $19,763,000 | $89,425 |
| Specialized design services | 2,051 | $80,633,000 | $39,314 |
| Photographic services | 968 | $34,438,000 | $35,576 |
| Independent artists, writers, and performers | 7,472 | $177,907,000 | $23,810 |
| Reupholstery and furniture repair | 34 | $2,065,000 | $60,735 |
02Definition sensitivity, 2025
Illustrates what adding broad categories does. These are overlapping industry baskets, not lower/middle/upper maker estimates.
| Basket | Payroll jobs | Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Five selected production industries | 365 | $20,301,886 |
| Plus ornamental architectural metal work | 635 | $41,651,462 |
| Plus mixed independent artists writers performers | 852 | $65,186,701 |